Well yes, but you have to remember that at this point in the show, Angel, Cordelia, and Not-Giles were just starting up their supernatural detective agency. They're inexperienced, so OF COURSE they're going to bumble around like idiots.

Way to completely miss the point of this comedy, SolRo.

I think of all the characters on it, Wesley had the worst luck ever.

Everyone had the worst luck ever because Whedon never wants his characters to be happy. Everyone stays dysfunctional, miserable and at constant odds with each other because to Whedon that's the height of reality.

Then one of the cast members will do something to slightly piss him off and he kills their character out of spite.

Not a soap opera, no. Think "Baywatch Nights" as envisioned by Joss Whedon. The show was incredibly dumb, but it had a fair amount of exploding people and it was definitely better than Buffy. I'd say it's the third least-worst thing Joss ever did, after Dr Horrible and Firefly.

Did you even see Avengers 2?

I rewatch Angel every couple of years or so, and have fun every time.

I haven't rewatched Buffy since I originally went through it around ten years ago.

Hmm.. I'm interested now, but I can't even get into Dexter or most series that last more than a few years (with the exception of Breaking Bad and old X-Files). But if I told you that I saw one episode of the much-ballyhooed Buffy because my girlfriend made me and didn't like it, should I just stick with this gag reel and call it good?

They take place in the same universe, so a lot of "Buffy" characters guest star. Story threads also frequently intertwine because "Angel" ran parallel with what was happening in Sunnydale until "Buffy" ended. But by and large "Angel" is a completely different show. It's much darker and moodier. Not that "Buffy" isn't dark, especially the latter two seasons, but think bubbly comic book with angsty attitude vs. neo-noir crime drama with jokes. Sunnydale is a lot brighter, even at night, whereas Los Angeles is always a gritty, dimly lit hellhole.

The underlying themes are also different. "Buffy" is about the pangs of adolescence, using monsters as metaphors for teen social issues and growing pains. "Angel" is about what happens after you've grown up. Generally its monsters reflect more adult problems.

Your mileage will vary depending on what you expect from your entertainment. Keep in mind that this is still Joss Whedon so every other line is going to be cute/reference/cliche subversion/word play just like all his other shows. If you didn't like "Buffy" there's still a chance you will like "Angel" but that may also hinge on how you process Joss.

Unless you're a fan of Buffy and/or are dating a girl who loves Joss, I wouldn't see any reason to recommend it to you, IZ. Maybe check out an episode or two if you're feeling bored, stoned, and are in the mood for some highbrow late-90s camp, but watching it is certainly not a priority.

The one thing I will say is that Cordelia has a much bigger role in Angel than she did in Buffy. This is important, because Cordelia is *fucking hot*.